This letter was written to [[Stanley Unwin]] of [[Allen and Unwin|Allen & Unwin]] and is dated [[October#1937|15 October 1937]], just after the first publication of ''[[The Hobbit]]''. Tolkien is pleased that the book is being well received, though he suspects that the two glowing, unsigned reviews in ''The Times'' and the ''Times Literary Supplement'' were written by [[C.S. Lewis|the same man]]. He notes with some surprise that no reviewer has picked him up on the use of the plural ''dwarves'' instead of ''dwarfs'', and expresses regret that he did not manage to slip in the word ''dwarrow'' ("rather a nice word, but a bit too archaic").

+

This letter was written to [[Stanley Unwin]] of [[Allen and Unwin|Allen & Unwin]] just after the first publication of ''[[The Hobbit]]''. Tolkien was pleased that the book was being well received, though he suspected that the two glowing, unsigned reviews in ''The Times'' and the ''Times Literary Supplement'' were written by [[C.S. Lewis|the same man]]. He noted with some surprise that no reviewer had picked him up on the use of the plural ''dwarves'' instead of ''dwarfs'', and expressed regret that he did not manage to slip in the word ''dwarrow'' ("rather a nice word, but a bit too archaic").

−

Already there is talk about a sequel. Unwin's has hinted that more stories featuring Hobbits will be looked for, but Tolkien feels he has little more to say about them: "Mr Baggins seems to have exhibited so fully both the Took and the Baggins side of their nature". Tolkien says that he has had a letter from one reader wanting to hear more about [[Gandalf]] and [[Sauron|the Necromancer]], but he rejects such a story as "too dark" &ndash; though at the same time he muses that "the presence (even if only on the borders)... [is] what gives this imagined world its verisimilitude". Nevertheless Tolkien is excited by the prospect of a sequel, hoping that it may allow him to "do what I much desire to do, and not fail of financial duty".

+

Already there was talk about a sequel. Unwin had hinted that more stories featuring Hobbits will be looked for, but Tolkien felt he has little more to say about them: "Mr. Baggins seems to have exhibited so fully both the Took and the Baggins side of their nature". Tolkien said that he has had a letter from one reader wanting to hear more about [[Gandalf]] and [[Sauron|the Necromancer]], but he rejected such a story as "too dark" &ndash; though at the same time he mused that "the presence (even if only on the borders)... [is] what gives this imagined world its verisimilitude". Nevertheless Tolkien was excited by the prospect of a sequel, hoping that it might allow him to "do what I much desire to do, and not fail of financial duty".

−

The book's reception on Tolkien's [[Oxford University|home turf]] is a mixture of amusement and guilty admiration:

+

The book's reception on Tolkien's [[Oxford University|home turf]] was a mixture of amusement and guilty admiration:

{{blockquote|I think 'Oxford' interest is mildly aroused. I am constantly asked how my hobbit is. The attitude is (as I foresaw) not unmixed with surprise and a little pity. My own college is I think good for about six copies, if only in order to find material for teasing me. Appearance in The Times convinced one or two of my more sedate colleagues that they could admit knowledge of my 'fantasy' (i.e. indiscretion) without loss of academic dignity. The professor of Byzantine Greek bought a copy, 'because first editions of "Alice" are now very valuable'. I did hear that the Regius Professor of Modern History was recently seen reading 'The Hobbit'. It is displayed by Parkers but not elsewhere (I think).}}

{{blockquote|I think 'Oxford' interest is mildly aroused. I am constantly asked how my hobbit is. The attitude is (as I foresaw) not unmixed with surprise and a little pity. My own college is I think good for about six copies, if only in order to find material for teasing me. Appearance in The Times convinced one or two of my more sedate colleagues that they could admit knowledge of my 'fantasy' (i.e. indiscretion) without loss of academic dignity. The professor of Byzantine Greek bought a copy, 'because first editions of "Alice" are now very valuable'. I did hear that the Regius Professor of Modern History was recently seen reading 'The Hobbit'. It is displayed by Parkers but not elsewhere (I think).}}

−

In closing Tolkien arranges a meeting with Unwin regarding the publication of ''[[Mr Bliss]]''.

+

In closing Tolkien arranged a meeting with Unwin regarding the publication of ''[[Mr Bliss]]''.

Summary

This letter was written to Stanley Unwin of Allen & Unwin just after the first publication of The Hobbit. Tolkien was pleased that the book was being well received, though he suspected that the two glowing, unsigned reviews in The Times and the Times Literary Supplement were written by the same man. He noted with some surprise that no reviewer had picked him up on the use of the plural dwarves instead of dwarfs, and expressed regret that he did not manage to slip in the word dwarrow ("rather a nice word, but a bit too archaic").

Already there was talk about a sequel. Unwin had hinted that more stories featuring Hobbits will be looked for, but Tolkien felt he has little more to say about them: "Mr. Baggins seems to have exhibited so fully both the Took and the Baggins side of their nature". Tolkien said that he has had a letter from one reader wanting to hear more about Gandalf and the Necromancer, but he rejected such a story as "too dark" – though at the same time he mused that "the presence (even if only on the borders)... [is] what gives this imagined world its verisimilitude". Nevertheless Tolkien was excited by the prospect of a sequel, hoping that it might allow him to "do what I much desire to do, and not fail of financial duty".

The book's reception on Tolkien's home turf was a mixture of amusement and guilty admiration:

I think 'Oxford' interest is mildly aroused. I am constantly asked how my hobbit is. The attitude is (as I foresaw) not unmixed with surprise and a little pity. My own college is I think good for about six copies, if only in order to find material for teasing me. Appearance in The Times convinced one or two of my more sedate colleagues that they could admit knowledge of my 'fantasy' (i.e. indiscretion) without loss of academic dignity. The professor of Byzantine Greek bought a copy, 'because first editions of "Alice" are now very valuable'. I did hear that the Regius Professor of Modern History was recently seen reading 'The Hobbit'. It is displayed by Parkers but not elsewhere (I think).

In closing Tolkien arranged a meeting with Unwin regarding the publication of Mr Bliss.